Evaluation of packing materials for thermophilic biofilter by refined evaluation scheme and application in the treatment of SO2 with high temperature

Abstract

The selection of packing materials is essential to maintaining biofilter performance in waste gas treatment. In this study, 12 types of packing materials were evaluated to determine the most suitable for the SO2 removal by a thermophilic biofilter. Scanning electron microscopy and the Baunauer–Emmett–Teller equation were utilized to identify the texture of the tested packing materials, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were applied to analyze the surface functional groups and crystal structures, respectively. Characteristics were accompanied by economic considerations. Results showed that the polyurethane sponge had better porous structure and water retention than other packing materials. In terms of microbial growth and carrier economy, it was chosen for the biofilter used to treat SO2. The performance of a full-scale thermophilic biofilter with polyurethane sponge as the packing material was investigated for the purification of SO2-containing gases at an inlet temperature of 55 °C. The biofilter effectively removed SO2 at an average removal rate of 93.36%. Thermophilic bacteria and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, e.g., Bacillus thermophilus, could attached growth on the surface of selected packing materials and exhibited degradation activity. This study provides an effective and feasible method of packing material selection for biological waste gas treatment.